Biophysical Journal

Biophysical Journal Editor’s Corner

Know the Editors

Each month this section of the Newsletter highlights BJ editors. This month, meet two editors from two different sections.

1. Huey Huang, Rice University, Editor for the Membranes Section

Q: What is your area of research?My training was in physics. I have devoted my research to membrane biophysics during the last 27 years or so. My interests are to understand the membrane-active peptides and proteins in terms of free energy pathways based on structural information. We looked for ways to measure the structural changes in membranes induced by proteins. Each structural technique when applied to membranes is a research area, such as oriented circular dichroism, neutron scattering, and X-ray diffraction. New features of neutron and synchrotron radiation, such as inelastic spectroscopies, coherent beams and free electron laser open new ways for measuring membrane dynamics. Currently we are studying ways of applying Evan Evans's aspiration GUV method in combination with X-ray to obtain structural information on lipid bilayers and bacterial membranes.

Q: What is your area of research?My research is in theoretical and computational biophysics and chemistry, with a strong interest in the application of the theoretical techniques of statistical thermodynamics and quantum mechanics to the study of the interactions between biomolecules. Matching computational methods to problems is necessary and requires development, implementation, and optimization of novel simulation tools. Pursuit of this has taken me into a number of branches of theoretical chemistry and biophysics including quantum chemistry, the theory of electronic structure and intermolecular interactions, statistical mechanics, “ab initio”, classical, and coarse grained computer simulation, and spectroscopy. My aim is to rationalize and interpret experimentally observed behavior at the molecular level, and suggest further lines of experimental inquiry. Collaboration with experimentalists from different communities is a crucial part of my research strategy. Over the years, I have worked on ion transport, protein interaction with the cell membrane, membrane protein structure and function, as well as self-organized molecular systems. More recently, I have started developing an interest in neutron experiments and I am developing tools to aid in the interpretation of this type of data for systems ranging from lipids and proteins at interfaces to bioactive molecules such as enzymes, toxins or antimicrobial agents.

Journal Makes Impact in Biophysics

Are you getting ready to publish your research? Biophysical Journal (BJ) offers broad readership and impacts the multidisciplinary biophysics community. See some of the journal metrics below. But most importantly, papers submitted in BJ receive prompt and thorough reviews by biophysicists, with the average turnaround time from submission to first decision of 30 days.

The Biophysical Society was founded in 1958 to encourage development and dissemination of knowledge in biophysics. It does so through its many programs, including its meetings, publications, and committee outreach activities.